Fairfax County Public Schools is getting its first electric school bus today as part of a statewide initiative led by Dominion Energy.
The bus is expected to arrive at the Stonecroft Transportation Center in Chantilly. It is the first of eight vehicles that FCPS will receive from Dominion in an initial deployment of 50 buses throughout Virginia.
FCPS says it anticipates getting the remaining seven buses by the end of January.
Made by Thomas Built Buses, the new vehicles will join Fairfax County’s fleet of approximately 1,625 diesel-fueled school buses, one of the largest in the country.
“Electric school buses in FCPS will benefit not only the school division and its community, but the entire national capital area,” FCPS says. “…They will help reduce carbon emissions, serve as a resource for national emergency planning efforts, and provide stability and capacity to the grid with meeting increasing energy demands.”
While electric buses are more expensive to purchase than diesel ones, they are cheaper to maintain and operate. FCPS is covering the difference in the initial cost with a grant from Dominion Energy, which also funded the installation of electric charging infrastructure at the Stonecroft facility and is responsible for maintaining the equipment.
FCPS says training for bus drivers, maintenance technicians, and other staff will start once the first bus arrives. The vehicles will undergo testing before being assigned to routes in early to mid-April, though whether there will be any students for them to transport at that time remains to be seen.
The arrival of Fairfax County’s first electric bus is a welcome step forward for community members and public officials who have been advocating for a transition to electric vehicles, citing health and financial benefits as well as environmental ones.
One of the most prominent advocates for electric school buses has been the Fairfax County branch of the national climate advocacy group Mothers Out Front, which launched a campaign in 2019 calling on FCPS to commit to converting its entire fleet to electric power by 2024.
“We are so excited for Fairfax to get its electric school buses on the ground and running,” Mothers Out Front Fairfax co-leader Barbara Monacella said in a statement. “…Every electric school bus we add to our fleet reduces the air pollution from diesel that harms our kids’ health, and brings us closer to our goal of converting every bus in order to reduce emissions and fight climate change.”
The community advocacy group has teamed up again with Del. Mark Keam (D-35th) on legislation that would create a state fund for school districts to purchase electric buses, a move aimed at addressing concerns about the amount of control Dominion has over the current initiative.
Last year, lawmakers opted to pursue the utility company’s pilot program instead, but Monacella says Keam will reintroduce his bill when the Virginia General Assembly convenes for its 2021 session on Wednesday (Jan. 13).
“We applaud the buses Fairfax has added, and we hope to add more through the state grant fund in the future,” Monacella said. “With every electric bus we add, we move the needle for our kids’ health and their future in the face of climate change.”
(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) One person and two cats died in a house fire in Vienna early this morning.
First responders with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and officers from the Vienna Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Lauren Lane SE around 2:05 a.m. Fire could be seen coming through the house’s roof when firefighters arrived on the scene, according to the FCFRD.
After working to extinguish the blaze, crews found one elderly woman and her two cats deceased inside the residence, Vienna police say.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by both the Vienna Police Department and the Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office.
2:05 AM units dispatched for house fire, 900 Block of Lauren Lane SE, in Vienna. Units arrived on-scene with fire though the roof. Firefighters located one occupant deceased in the home. Fire Investigators currently on scene to determine cause of fire. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/4ISN9tRSav
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 12, 2021
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday (Jan. 11)
- Introduction to Zentangle (Online) — 6:30-9 p.m. — Falls Church Arts is offering lessons on Zentangle, a drawing technique intended to inspire creativity and encourage mindfulness. This is the first of four classes that will take place every Monday until Feb. 1. The program costs $120 for all four classes. Sign up through the nonprofit.
Tuesday (Jan. 12)
- On Deck with Mercury — 6-8 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE) — Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton will discuss the town’s 2021 legislative agenda with Town Attorney Steve Briglia for his monthly community forum. In-person attendance is limited to support social distancing, but the meeting will be available live on Zoom. It will also be rebroadcast on the town’s cable access channel, and a recording will be uploaded to YouTube.
- Great Books Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The latest session of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Great Books Discussion, which focuses on literary classics, will center on “The Plague” by Albert Camus. Contact Marshall Webster at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
Wednesday (Jan. 13)
- Code Create Vienna (Online) — 5:30 p.m. — The Town of Vienna is holding a virtual public meeting for residents to provide input on proposed changes to the town’s residential zoning standards. Staff will review the proposals, present a visual preference survey, and take questions. The meeting will take place on Zoom.
- MLK Day Virtual Book Discussion (Online) — 7 p.m. — Staff at the Alden Theatre will host a talk about Raymond Arsenault’s history book “The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America.” This is part of the McLean Community Center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. Registration is required and ends at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12.
- Mystery Book Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s mystery book group will talk about “Fer-de-Lance” by Rex Stout. Email [email protected] to sign up for the Zoom discussion.
Thursday (Jan. 14)
- MLK Day Podcast Discussion Group (Online) — 7 p.m. — As part of its MLK Day celebration, the McLean Community Center kicks off a month of discussions on “Seeing White,” the second season of the Center for Documentary Studies’ “Scene on Radio” podcast series. The series examines the historical origins of whiteness and racism in America. Registration is required and closes at 5 p.m. the day before each Thursday night session.
- Thursday Evening Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Thursday Evening Book Group will discuss “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante. Light refreshments will be served. Email Marshall Webster at [email protected] for a Zoom invite.
Friday (Jan. 15)
- New Year, New You Virtual 5K (Online) — The McLean-based Junior League of Northern Virginia is hosting a virtual 5K run that will kick off today with a stretching activity. Participants can take part from any location from Jan. 15-18. Register through the organization’s website.
- Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St.) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will meet attendees in front of town hall to take a stroll through town while chatting and answering questions from the community.
Sunday (Jan. 17)
- Front Row Series: David Shifrin (Online) — 3 p.m. — Clarinet player David Shifrin will play pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Luigi Bassi, and Duke Ellington in the latest installment of the Chamber Music Society’s “Front Row” concert series. The performance will be followed by a Q&A, all of which will be streamed by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts until midnight on Jan. 24.
The Washington and Old Dominion Trail will be shifted slightly south where it passes Idylwood Park in Falls Church starting this Thursday (Jan. 14).
The Virginia Department of Transportation says the temporary realignment will allow crews to construct a new, permanent trail that can accommodate new Interstate 66 ramps as part of its Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project.
Construction will also involve the addition of a retaining wall to support the widening of the I-66 West ramp to I-495 South.
Idylwood Park is at the terminus of the Transform 66 project, which is adding 22 miles of express lanes between I-495 in Falls Church and University Boulevard in Gainesville.
VDOT previously planned to close the affected section of the W&OD Trail from July 27 through early December of last year and offer detours to pedestrians and cyclists, but construction was postponed “for additional project coordination.”
The realignment brings the trail closer to I-66 West and will last approximately five months through June 2021.
“All work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if inclement conditions occur,” VDOT says.
Images via VDOT
The Fairfax County Police Department released the names of two officers who fired their weapons and shot a reportedly armed man in Falls Church on Dec. 17.
Fairfax County Police Chief Ed Roessler Jr. identified the officers as Master Police Officer Lance Guckenberger and Police Officer First-Class Matthew Grubb in a statement issued on Friday (Jan. 8).
Guckenberger is a 20-year Fairfax County police veteran, and Grubb has been with the department for 18 years. They are both members of the department’s special operations division, according to Roessler.
The officers were among those who responded to a teenager’s report that he had been shot by a man in an apartment in the 2000 block of Peach Orchard Drive in Falls Church. After attempting to negotiate with the man, police entered the apartment, and there was reportedly an exchange of gunfire.
Guckenberger and Grubb “discharged their firearms at Myer to end his imminent threat to the sanctity of all human life present at the event,” Roessler said in his statement.
The teen and the man, who has been identified as Falls Church resident Glenn Allen Meyer, were both transported to a local hospital and survived their injuries.
Meyer was released from the hospital on Dec. 19 and charged with aggravated malicious wounding. He is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Fairfax County policy requires police officers who use potentially deadly force to be publicly identified within 10 days of the incident unless the police chief determines “there is a credible threat to the safety of those involved or if additional time is required to thoroughly complete the risk assessment process,” the FCPD says.
The department said on Dec. 26 that Roessler needed more time to finish a risk assessment “to make an informed decision regarding the release of the involved police officers’ names.”
The criminal and administrative investigations into the Falls Church shooting both remain ongoing.
Second Dead Capitol Police Officer Was Madison Alumnus — The Capitol Police announced on Saturday (Jan. 9) that officer Howard Liebengood had died — reportedly by suicide — after being on the scene when a mob breached the U.S. Capitol last week. Liebengood attended Vienna’s James Madison High School in the 1980s and participated in the school’s wrestling team. [The Washington Post]
Fairfax County Libraries Return to Curbside Service Only — “Effective Monday, Jan. 11, all Fairfax County Public Library branches will provide curbside and virtual services only. Please stay home if you’re sick, if you’ve been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or if you’re awaiting your own COVID-19 test results.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
Bowlero to Move into Former Macy’s at Tysons Galleria — “Bowling alley operator Bowlero plans to open its fifth location in Greater Washington this November at Tysons Galleria…The new location will house 36 bowling lanes, more than 70 arcade games, a full-service kitchen, sports bar and audio-visual capabilities including hi-definition video screens above the bowling lanes.” [Washington Business Journal]
Construction on New George Mason High School Nearly Complete — “The new school set to replace the old George Mason High School in the City of Falls Church will be opened in the coming weeks, but in-person learning may not be allowed despite a recently announced reopening plan.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Fairfax County Requests Flexibility and Funding from State — During a public hearing on Jan. 9, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay told the county’s General Assembly delegation that localities need the flexibility to determine their own priorities as they try to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. [WTOP]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
(Updated 5:05 p.m.) Police in the Town of Vienna were kept busy this week responding to reports that ranged from a political protest to ketchup-related vandalism.
The Vienna Police Department’s crime round-up for the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 7 states that officers responded to “group of people protesting political issues in the street and on the sidewalk in front of a residence” on DeSale Street NW at 7:28 p.m. on Jan. 4.
While the report does not provide any additional details, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday (Jan. 5) that protestors had gathered outside the home of Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to decry the Missouri senator’s plan to object to Congress’ certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Hawley had accused the protestors of vandalism and threats against his family on Twitter, but Vienna police described the scene as peaceful. The group dispersed when informed that they were violating local laws against picketing in front of a house, littering, and noise, according to the AP.
In a more innocuous event, police were summoned to the Historic Vienna Train Station (231 Dominion Rd.) on the morning of Jan. 4 when a Town of Vienna employee reported seeing “a red liquid on the south wall” of the station.
“It was determined that someone squirted ketchup on the wall,” the VPD says. “There was no permanent damage to the wall.”
Photo via Google Maps
Work on a new roof and synthetic turf field for McLean High School will begin this summer after the Fairfax County School Board approved contracts of nearly $1 million combined for the two projects yesterday (Thursday).
A $386,480 contract to replace the school’s roof went to R.D. Bean, Inc., which was selected out of a pool of seven companies that submitted bids for the project on Dec. 18.
The field replacement will be done by Astro Turf, LLC, for $548,500. Four other contractors were in contention for the project, which received bids on Dec. 9.
“These critical improvements will help McLean High School continue offering world-class educational and athletic opportunities for our students as the school division and community work to address ongoing capacity needs,” Providence District School Board Representative Karl Frisch said.
FCPS says that the replacement of McLean High School’s existing turf field, which was installed in 2012, is part of an ongoing, division-wide program to maintain the quality and usability of school athletic fields.
The roof, which was built in 1997 with some additions constructed in 2001, will be replaced in one-month phases over the next four summers. This year’s work will encompass approximately 30,000 square feet of roofing.
McLean High School is currently undergoing construction for a 12-classroom modular building that is expected to be finished in the next couple of weeks, Dranesville District Representative Elaine Tholen told the school board on Tuesday (Jan. 5).
The modular will replace 12 trailers at McLean, which is about 300 students over capacity as of the 2019-2020 school year, according to the most recent Fairfax County Public Schools proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
FCPS staff did not calculate program capacity utilization for the current school year in the proposed FY 2022-2026 CIP, because the majority of students have been learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even with the modular, McLean High School will still have 22 temporary classrooms in trailers.
In the hopes of providing further relief from overcrowding, FCPS is conducting a boundary adjustment study that could potentially shift some future McLean students to Langley High School.
“I am happy to see this investment in infrastructure at McLean High School along with our modular classroom construction and several building modifications,” Tholen said. “These necessary enhancements will serve current and future students and staff as we continue efforts to alleviate overcrowding at the school.”
Photo via McLean High School PTSA
McLean Community Center Executive Director George Sachs officially announced yesterday (Thursday) that he will retire on May 7 after more than a decade in the position.
MCC started advertising for the executive director job in December, signaling that Sachs would step down.
Though he has been preparing to retire since enrolling in the county’s deferred retirement option program three years ago, Sachs is still coming to terms with the prospect of leaving MCC.
“Really, I don’t want to leave,” Sachs admitted. “It’s just that I’ve come to a realization in my life. I turn 70 years old, and looking back and looking forward to what I want to do, I’m ready…to move forward.”
For Sachs, serving as MCC’s chief administrative officer was the culmination of a nearly five-decade career that began in 1974 when he got his first full-time job working at Fairfax County’s recreation department.
Sachs went on to work at the Fairfax County Park Authority for five years, a tenure that included opening the county’s first RECenter at Wakefield Park. The facility is now known as the Audrey Moore RECenter.
Sachs first joined MCC as its deputy director in 1991 after managing the recreation and sports facilities at George Mason University for nearly 10 years. He spent four years with MCC before moving to South Carolina, where he owned and operated his own chain of health and fitness centers.
However, after the Great Recession hit in 2008, Sachs says he struggled to compete as a small business owner. He decided to return to Fairfax County in 2009, when MCC hired him again, this time to manage the Old Firehouse Teen Center.
Appointed as MCC’s executive director in 2010, Sachs shepherded MCC through an extensive $8 million overhaul of its Ingleside Avenue center, a five-year process that involved relocating staff to four different sites around McLean and culminated with a reopening in 2018.
“It gave more space and openness to the center,” Sachs said of the renovation. “…It’s just more inviting for people to come in. When you come in the center now, you can actually see that there’s activity in the center.” Read More
Vienna Police Move into New Temporary Home — With construction on a new station set to begin soon, the Vienna Police Department relocated to the former Faith Baptist Church at 301 Center Street on Jan. 7. Operations and responses haven’t been affected by the move, but the department is taking non-emergency calls at 703-255-6366. [Vienna Happenings]
Mosaic District to Add Dutch Snack Outlet — Poffy will serve traditional Dutch mini pancakes called poffertjes that are often prepared by street vendors. Owner Lilian Wanandy-Perez hopes to open the store in May or June, depending on the permitting process. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Golf Training Center Opens in Tysons — “GOLFTEC Tysons Corner, a golf instruction and club fitting center, has opened in Tysons. Located at 1430 Spring Hill Road, Suite 102, McLean, the 2,500 -square-foot facility offers golf lessons for a variety of individual needs.” [Patch]
Tysons IT Company Receives Acquisition Proposal — DXC Technology confirmed on Jan. 7 that it received an unsolicited, preliminary and non-binding proposal from Atos SE to acquire all DXC shares. The company’s board of directors will be evaluating the proposal. [Business Wire]
Home Sales in McLean Were Up in 2020 — “Year over year, there has been marginal improvement in the number of home sales with a total count of 1,249 in 2020 compared to 1,219 in 2019. Compared to one decade ago in 2010, there is significantly better news as sales are up 39 percent over that time frame.” [Connection Newspapers]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
